Important

You can’t apply for this appointment

The application deadline has passed or the appointment has been closed for applications.

Appointment details

Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) - Council Members (2 x Employer Member, 2 x Employee Member, 2x Independent Medical or Scientific Expert)

Summary

• Organisation: Industrial Injuries Advisory Council
• Sponsor department: Department for Work and Pensions
• Location: London
• Sectors: Health and Social Care
• Skills: Commercial, Legal, Judicial
• Number of vacancies: 6
• Time commitment: 4 day(s) per annum
• Remuneration: £142 per day
• Length of term: Up to five years.
• Application deadline: 11pm on 29 June 2022

Share this page

The following links open in a new tab

Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   26 May 2022

2. Application deadline

   11pm on 29 June 2022

3. Sifting date

   6 July 2022

4. Interviews expected to end on

   23 September 2022

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC or The Council) is an independent statutory body set up in 1946 to advise the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland on matters relating to the Industrial Injuries Scheme (IIS). The Council is funded and sponsored by DWP. 

Much of the Council’s time is spent considering whether the list of prescribed diseases for which benefit may be paid should be added to or amended. The Council can also provide advice on the administration of the IIS.

Introduction from the Chair

A Message from Doctor Lesley Rushton, IIAC Chair 

The Council’s role is to provide impartial advice to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland on matters relating to the Industrial Injuries Scheme. In practice, much of the Council’s time is spent considering which diseases could be recommended for inclusion on the list of ‘prescribed diseases’ for which benefit may be payable.    

IIAC is seeking up to six Council Members. We are particularly looking for two independent Members who have expertise in epidemiology or women’s occupational health (or a combination of these) and who have worked within occupational, environmental, or public health. We are also looking for two Members to represent the interests of employees and two Members to represent the interests of employers.  Candidates for these roles must have knowledge of the key issues and causes of occupational ill health and the impact of the broad issues surrounding disability.  

IIAC welcomes applications from a diverse pool of applicants including younger applicants who may not have previous experience of committee work. The Council works collaboratively to find consensus in its advice. It is therefore more important that you can examine and evaluate data to a high standard, and you have, at a minimum, contributed to published reviews.   

If this sounds like you, please read on.

Additional introductions

A Message from Peter Schofield, DWP Permanent Secretary 

I want DWP and our arms’ length bodies to be places where everyone, whatever their background, feels supported to achieve their potential. By being an inclusive employer, bringing into the organisation and developing talented people from diverse backgrounds, we will be better able to provide the best possible support to those we serve. 

That is why we want to reach the widest possible pool of talent for public appointments, and I want to encourage applications from people from all backgrounds.  

We know we have a long way to go. As an example, the Lord Holmes Review (December 2018) identified that there are over 6,000 public appointments dealing with all aspects of our lives but just 3% are held by disabled people. I therefore particularly welcome applications from talented applicants with a disability. 

If you are looking for an opportunity to use your talents to make a difference to the lives of millions of your fellow citizens, we look forward to hearing from you.

Appointment description

All IIAC Members will be expected to:  

• review information from a variety of sources, including research papers
• put forward informed constructive assessments in Council investigations and contribute to the preparation of its recommendations/reports 
• participate in other duties of the Council, such as advising the DWP on the drafting of relevant legislation and guidance 
• prepare fully for all meetings by reading papers in advance and carrying out any other necessary preparatory work; and 
• attend a minimum of four Council meetings per year and be available for other related work to enable the Council to conduct its business, such as attending ad hoc meetings or working between meetings to evaluate the scientific evidence where necessary and attending external stakeholder events 
• demonstrate commitment to the Seven Principles Underpinning Public Life defined by the Committee on Standards in Public Life (Annex 1).

Organisation description

The IIS is made up of several benefits providing tax free, non-contributory, no fault compensation to employed earners for injury arising from an industrial accident, or from specified occupationally caused diseases (prescribed diseases). Industrial Injuries Disability Benefit (IIDB) covers over 70 occupationally caused diseases. Further information about the scheme can be found at: GOV.UK technical guidance  

Most IIDB claimants are required to have a medical examination (carried out by an external provider), to confirm their diagnosis and to determine their percentage of disablement. This is used to calculate the level of weekly award to which they are entitled. The criteria for assessing disablement under IIDB are set out in regulations and apply to all claims. The assessment is made by comparison to a person of the same age and sex whose physical and mental condition is normal and is expressed as a percentage. Most awards become payable from 14% disablement.

Board composition

IIAC members are appointed by the responsible Minister, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. The Council typically consists of: 

• Independent members, made up of the Chair, doctors, scientists and solicitors  
• Representatives of employers 
• Representatives of employees. 

There are usually 16 members of IIAC - although this will vary from time to time.  Legislation states the Council must have equal numbers representing employers and employed earners.  Independent members come from occupational medicine, science, and related fields.  As Ministers are required to refer proposed regulations concerning IIDB to IIAC for its consideration, there is usually at least one legally qualified member to assist the Council with this task and any other legal issues that may arise.

Regulation of appointment

This post is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. For more information, please refer to the Commissioner’s website 

Person specification

Essential criteria

Independent Medical Expert or Independent Scientific Expert (Two Roles) 

All successful candidates will need to demonstrate evidence against the following essential criteria: 

Knowledge of the key issues and causes of occupational ill health and the impact of the broad issues surrounding disability (will have published papers on, or contributed to published reviews of occupational injuries and diseases) 

Proven ability to evaluate complex technical and/or medical issues relating to the detail of occupational health and industrial injuries/diseases 

Experience of conducting reviews impartially and objectively, and the ability to contribute to the drafting of Council reports 

Excellent interpersonal skills and written and oral communication skills, especially the ability to communicate effectively to different audiences

Representative of Employees (up to two roles) 

All successful candidates will need to demonstrate evidence against the following essential criteria: 

Ability to contribute an understanding of employee interests on industrial injuries, including accidents at work and diseases caused by work. Ideally candidates will have a strong network (or relationship) with key employee stakeholders 

An understanding of the key issues in occupational health and awareness of the broad issues surrounding disablement, compensation, and rehabilitation. 

Excellent interpersonal skills and written and oral communication skills, especially the ability to communicate effectively to different audiences.

Representative of Employers (up to two roles) 

All successful candidates will need to demonstrate evidence against the following essential criteria: 

Ability to contribute an understanding of employer interests on industrial injuries, including accidents at work and diseases caused by work. 

An understanding of the key issues in occupational health and awareness of the broad issues surrounding disablement, compensation, and rehabilitation. 

Excellent interpersonal skills and written and oral communication skills, especially the ability to communicate effectively to different audiences.

Desirable criteria

Desirable criteria 

Applications from experts across all fields of occupational health are welcome but we are particularly seeking expertise in epidemiology or women’s occupational health or a combination of these.  

Clear understanding of the role of an expert advisory committee or similar body and an ability to contribute effectively to it. (Prior participation of such a body is not essential). 

General knowledge of: 

• industrial injuries compensation 
• disability and sickness-related benefits 
• the framework of legislation – Acts, Regulations, including general anti-discrimination, data protection or human rights legislation.

Desirable Criteria 

An ability to analyse technical issues relating to occupational health and industrial injuries/diseases as they affect the operation of the scheme in practice 

Knowledge of: 

• industrial injuries compensation 
• disability and sickness-related benefits, and 
• the framework of legislation – Acts, Regulations, including general anti-discrimination, data protection and human rights legislation.    

Application and selection process

How to apply

In order to apply you will need to provide:

1. A  Curriculum Vitae which provides details of your education and qualifications, employment history, directorships, membership of professional bodies and details of any publications or awards;

2. A supporting statement setting out how you meet the eligibility criteria;

3. Information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues; https://papt-candidate-packs-live.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/Personal-Information-Form-IIAC-Council-Member.docx

4. Diversity monitoring information. This allows us to see if there are any unfair barriers to becoming a public appointee and whether there are any changes that we could make to encourage a more diverse field to apply. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be used as part of the selection process and will not be seen by the interview panel. https://papt-candidate-packs-live.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/Diversity-Information-Form-Microsoft-Word-260522.docx

5. Reasonable adjustments - requests for reasonable adjustments that you would like to the application process (if applicable).

Completed applications should be submitted to alb.publicappointments@dwp.gov.uk.

The Advisory Assessment Panel reserves the right to only consider applications that contain all of the elements listed above, and that arrive before the published deadline for applications.

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR ALL APPLICANTS:

You will receive an automated acknowledgement once your application has been received. If you do not receive this acknowledgement email, your application has not been sent to the inbox successfully. If you do not receive the acknowledgement email, please resend your application, or contact us separately as soon as possible on the above email address. To ensure your email passes our electronic security measures, please do not mark it as ‘Private’. If you have any difficulty in sending your application or need the application pack in an alternative format, please contact the ALB Public Appointments Team.

A candidate pack for this role is here:

https://papt-candidate-packs-live.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/Candidate_Pack_May_2022-1.pdf

Overview of the application process

Public appointments are made on merit following a fair and open competition process which is conducted in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments. We will deal with your application as quickly as possible and will keep you informed at key stages. We aim to conclude the appointment process within three months of the deadline for applications – this is in accordance with the Governance Code.

The assessment process

1. Ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the public appointments made within their department. As a result, they must be consulted at every stage of the appointments process.

2. An Advisory Assessment Panel (“Panel”) is appointed by Ministers to assist them in their decision making. The role of the Panel is to decide, objectively, which candidates meet the eligibility criteria for the role.

3. At the shortlisting meeting the Panel will assess applications against the eligibility criteria and decide which candidates should be recommended for interview. Ministers will then be consulted on the Panel’s recommended shortlist.

4. Once the shortlist has been agreed by Ministers, you will be advised (by e-mail) whether you have been shortlisted. Those shortlisted will be invited to an interview.

5. The Panel will meet again to interview candidates and determine who is appointable to the role. The names of all appointable candidates are provided to Ministers. It is then for Ministers to determine merit and decide who should be appointed. In some circumstances, Ministers may choose not to appoint any candidates and re-run the competition.

6. The Panel’s recommendations will be provided to Ministers in a report which details the assessment method used and the outcome of each interview. They will then be asked to agree on the candidate(s) who should be appointed.

7. Once the decision on the appointment has been made, interviewed candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application. Successful candidates will be issued with their Terms & Conditions and a letter of appointment should they agree to take up the position.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

• Panel Chair Jenan Hasan, Head of Arm’s Length Bodies Partnership Division, DWP
• Representative of the Organisation Dr Lesley Rushton, IIAC Chair
• Independent Panel Member Rosie Varley OBE, former OCPA appointed Public Appointments Assessor.

The Advisory Assessment Panel is:

• Panel Chair Jenan Hasan, Head of Arm’s Length Bodies Partnership Division, DWP
• Representative of the Organisation Dr Lesley Rushton, IIAC Chair
• Independent Panel Member Rosie Varley OBE, former OCPA appointed Public Appointments Assessor.

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by ministers to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned.

AAP’s perform a number of functions, including agreeing an assessment strategy with ministers, undertaking sifting, carrying out interviews in line with the advertised criteria and deciding objectively who meets the published selection criteria for the role before recommending to ministers which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the minister to decide who to appoint to the role.

Eligibility criteria

In general, you should have the right to work in the UK to be eligible to apply for a public appointment.

There are a small number of specialist roles that are not open to non-British citizens. Any nationality requirements will be specified in the vacancy details.

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. 

You cannot be considered for a public appointment if:

• you are disqualified from acting as a company director  (under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986);

• have an unspent conviction on your criminal record;

• your estate has been sequestrated in Scotland or you enter into a debt arrangement programme under Part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 17) as the debtor or have, under Scots law, granted a trust deed for creditors.

When you apply, you should declare if:

• you are, or have been, bankrupt or you have made an arrangement with a creditor at any point, including the dates of this. 

• you are subject to a current police investigation.

You must inform the sponsor department if, during the application process, your circumstances change in respect of any of the above points. 

When you apply you should also declare any relevant interests, highlighting any that you think may call into question your ability to properly discharge the responsibilities of the role you are applying for. You should also declare any other matters which may mean you may not be able to meet the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Board Members (see Outside interests and reputational issues section below)

If you need further advice, please contact alb.publicappointments@dwp.gov.uk.

Security clearance

The successful candidate will be required to undertake Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks in line with the Civil Service guidelines. Additional Security Clearance may also be required for certain roles. However, where this applies, candidates will be notified during the appointment process. Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here.

Additional information for candidates

Equality and diversity

We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies are most effective when they reflect the diversity of views of the society they serve and this is an important part of the Government’s levelling up agenda.

We collect data about applicants’ characteristics and backgrounds, including information about people’s educational and professional backgrounds, so that we can make sure we are attracting a broad range of people to these roles and that our selection processes are fair for everyone. Without this information, it makes it difficult to see if our outreach is working, if the application process is having an unfair impact on certain groups and whether changes are making a positive difference.

When you submit your application, your responses are collected by the Cabinet Office and the government department(s) managing your application. The data is used to produce management information about the diversity of applicants. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be seen by the Advisory Assessment Panel who review applications against the advertised criteria and conduct interviews.

Disability confident

We are a member of the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. We use the Disability Confident scheme symbol, along with other like-minded employers, to show our commitment to good practice in employing people with a disability. The scheme helps recruit and retain disabled people. 

As part of implementing the scheme, we guarantee an interview for anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the role and who has asked that their application is considered under the scheme. Indicating that you wish your application to be considered under the scheme will in no way prejudice your application. By ‘minimum criteria,’ we mean that you must provide evidence which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required under each of the essential criteria, as set out in the job-advert.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to select if you would like your application considered under this scheme.

Reasonable adjustments

Government departments are committed to making reasonable adjustments to make sure applicants with disabilities, physical or mental health conditions, or other needs are not substantially disadvantaged when applying for public appointments. This can include changing the recruitment process to enable people who wish to apply to do so.

Some examples of common changes are:

• ensuring that application forms are available in different or accessible formats;
• making adaptations to interview locations;
• allowing candidates to present their skills and experience in a different way;
• giving detailed information on the selection / interview process in advance to allow candidates time to prepare themselves;
• allowing support workers, for example sign language interpreters;
• making provision for support animals to attend.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the application process.

Principles of public life

Holders of public office are expected to adhere to and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-7-principles-of-public-life/the-7-principles-of-public-life--2. These are:

1. SELFLESSNESS - Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family or their friends;
2. INTEGRITY - Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might seek to influence them in the performance of their official duties;
3. OBJECTIVITY - In carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit;
4. ACCOUNTABILITY - Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office;
5. OPENNESS - Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands;
6. HONESTY - Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest;
7. LEADERSHIP - Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.

Code of conduct for board members

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. In support of this, all non-executive board members of UK public bodies must abide by the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. The Code sets out the standards expected from those who serve on the boards of UK public bodies and will form part of your terms and conditions of appointment.

Management of outside interests and consideration of reputational issues

Holders of public office are expected to adhere and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Before you apply you should consider carefully: 

• any outside interests that you may have, such as shares you may hold in a company providing services to government; 
• any possible reputational issues arising from your past actions or or public statements that you have made; 
• and/or - any political roles you hold or political campaigns you have supported; 

which may call into question your ability to do the role you are applying for.

You will need to answer relevant questions in relation to these points when making an application. Many conflicts of interest can be satisfactorily resolved and declaring a potential conflict does not prevent you from being interviewed. If you are shortlisted for an interview, the panel will discuss any potential conflicts with you during that interview, including any proposals you may have to mitigate them and record that in their advice to ministers. Alongside your own declaration, we will conduct appropriate checks, as part of which we will consider anything in the public domain related to your conduct or professional capacity. This may include searches of previous public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information. The successful candidate(s) may be required to give up any conflicting interests and their other business and financial interests may be published in line with organisational policies. 

Details of declared political activity will be published when the appointment is announced, as required by the Governance Code (political activity is not a bar to appointment, but must be declared).

Status of appointment

You will not become a member of the Civil Service. You will not be subject to the provisions of employment law.

Appointment and tenure of office

Appointments are for the term set out in this advert, with the possibility of re-appointment for a further term, at the discretion of Ministers.  Any re-appointment is subject to satisfactory annual appraisals of performance during the first term in the post. If re-appointed, the total time served in post will not exceed more than two terms or serve in any one post for more than ten years

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

Remuneration for this role is treated as employment income and will be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid.

You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs necessarily incurred on official business however these payments are taxable as earnings and will be subject to tax and national insurance, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid.

Pension and redundancy

This is an office holder appointment and does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon termination because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.

Application feedback

We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.

How to complain

We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy.

Please contact the Department of Work and Pensions public appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at alb.publicappointments@dwp.gov.uk. They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.

How to complain to Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA)

If you are not content with the appointing department’s response, [and this appointment is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments], you may wish to further complain to the Commissioner at publicappointments@csc.gov.uk,Further information on how the Commissioner handles complaints can be found on the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ website www.publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk/complaints

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.

The Department of Work and Pensions will use your data in line our privacy policy

Contact details

If you have any questions about these appointments please contact Alistair Horsley (ALISTAIR.HORSLEY@dwp.gov.uk)

Attachments

• Personal Information Form